Apparatus for crimping filaments



R. J. DUGA ETAL. 3,200,466

APPARATUS FOR CRIMPING FILAMENTS Filed July 1, 1965 A 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m/ 1 5 70 25 P055? 7 J 00 GA ATTORNEY Aug. 17, 1965 R. J. DUGA ETAL APPARATUS FOR CRIMPING FILAMENTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 1, 1965 I/VI/E'IVTOES 19055197- 1 006A HEM/R) A. S/A/Sk/ A wok/o5- Y United States Patent 3,260,466 APPARATUS FOR CRKMPING FILAMENTS Robert J. Duga, Newark, Deb, and Henry A. Sinski, Aidan, Pa., assignors to Joseph Bancroft & Sons Co., Wilmington, Deb, a corporation of Delaware Fiied July 1, 1963, Ser. No. 291,658 2 Claims. (Cl. 281) This invention relates to apparatus for crimping filaments or yarns and has for an object to provide an apparatus of the above type having novel and improved means for controlling the leg length of the crimp.

Another object is to provide such an apparatus with means for producing a crimp having a relatively long leg length between the angular bends or folds of the filaments.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent as the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed.

In accordance with the present invention it has been found that in a stutter crimper wherein yarns or filaments are fed continuously between feed rolls into a closed crimping chamber against the pressure of a mass of previously crimped filaments held compacted in the chamber, the leg length of the crimp is a function of the back pressure of the mass of crimped filaments on the incoming material. In a crimping chamber of the type formed by a vertical tube or the like into which the filaments are fed from the bottom and caused to advance upwardly toward the top of the tube, the back pressure is dependent upon the length of the mass of crimped filaments in the tube, the friction of the filaments on the walls of the tube, and the weight of the upper closure member which rests upon the mass of filaments. Of these factors the length of the core of filaments in the tube is limited by the time factor which is required for setting the crimp before the filaments are discharged from the tube and the wall friction although small is a factor of the core length. The top closure is commonly used as a control for maintaining a constant quantity of material in the chamber. Hence it must exert suflicient back pressure to effect the operation of a motor switch.

The present invention provides a control device which is responsive to the level of the crimped filaments in the cr-imper tube, but introduces no appreciable back pressure on the filaments. Hence the back pressure at the crimping zone at the bite of the feed rolls is reduced to substantially the weight of the crimped filaments themselves.

In one embodiment of the invention this control is effected by means of a balanced mercury switch which is actuated by a feeler wire resting lightly upon the mass of crimped filaments. In another embodiment the control is eifected by a photoelectric cell so disposed that a beam of light is broken by the mass of crimped filaments when such filaments reach a predetermined level. In the first case, the back pressure on the filaments is negligible and in the latter case no back pressure is introduced.

The nature of the invention will be better understood by referring to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which certain specific embodiments have been set forth for purposes of illustration.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section through an apparatus embodying the invention with parts broken away for clarity;

FIG. 2 is a partial vertical section taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial vertical section taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section, similar to FIG. 1, illustratin g a further embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a partial vertical section taken on the line 55 of FIG. 4;

ice

FIG. 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a sectional detail illustrating a modified form of crimping tube to be used in the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 8 is a section taken on the line 88 of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a sectional detail illustrating a further embodiment of crimping tube to be used in the apparatus of FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, the invention is shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 as embodying a block 10 mounted on a bracket 11 and having a vertical bore in which a sleeve 12 is secured as 'by a press fit. A tube 14 forming the crimping chamber extends through the sleeve 12 and is secured by a clamping nut 15. At its lower end the tube 14 is formed with a saddle registering with the bite of a pair of feed rolls 18, one of which is shown in FIG. 1 between which filaments 1? are fed into a crimping chamber to be folded over and crimped against the mass of previously crimped filaments held compacted in the tube 14.

The filaments 19 are guided to the bite of the feed rolls 18 by a guide 20 mounted in a bracket 11, from a cop 19a through a tensioning device 21 which exerts a friction drag on the filaments suited to maintain a uniform feed. An electric heating unit 22 is disposed in the block 10 to supply heat to the filaments in the tube 14 for setting the crimp.

One of the feed rolls 18 is mounted on a shaft 25 which is journalled in bearing 26 in the bracket 11. A pulley 27 is secure-d to the shaft and is driven by a belt 28 from a pulley 29 mounted on the armature shaft of a motor 30. In accordance with the present invention the tube 14 is provided near its upper end with an elongated vertical slot 35 through which a feeler wire 36 extends in a position to rest upon the upper end of the mass of crimped filaments in the tube 14. The free end 37 of the feeler wire 36 is bent upwardly to provide a smooth curved surface which prevents entangling of the filaments as they are withdrawn from the open upper end 39 of the tube 14 through a slubber 40 and a swinging type tensioning device 4-1 by a constant speed winder 42 having a cone package resting on a roll 44 driven at constant speed by a motor 45. The slubber 40 and tension gate 41 are mounted on a bracket 46 which is adjustably mounted on the upper end of the tube 14.

The projecting end 54) of the feeler wire is attached to a pin 51 which is pivoted in the bifurcated end 52 of a bracket 53 which is adjustably secured to the tube 14 by a wing nut 54 to permit vertical adjustment of the bracket and feeler wire in accordance with the quantity of crimped filaments to be maintained in the tube 14. A spring clip 55 carrying a mercury switch envelope so is attached to the end 50 of the wire 36.

The clip 55 and the switch envelope 56 are balanced to cause the free end of the feeler wire 36 to apply a minimum pressure on the mass of crimped filaments in the tube 14. This reduces the back pressure on the mass of filaments and avoids any appreciable ironing effects as the filaments are withdrawn from the end of the tube 14. Since the back pressure is determined by the weight of the filaments in the tube this pressure can be adjusted to any desired value by raising or lowering the position of the feeler wire. As the back pressure is reduced the leg length of the resultant crimp in the filaments is increased and vice versa. Hence the crimped filaments can be caused to have a predetermined leg length by suitable adjustment of the position of the feeler wire in the slot 35.

The mercury switch is connected to make or break the circuit to the feed roll motor 30 or the winder motor 45 so as to maintain a constant level of crimped filaments in the tube 14. For this purpose the mercury switch 56 may be connected to a suitable relay such as a solenoid relay 58 which in turn is connected to control the operation of one of the motors above mentioned.

The embodiment of FIGS. 4 to 6 is similar to that above described except that the mercury switch and feeler wire are replaced by a photoelectric cell control for the feed or winder motor. The similar parts have been designated by the same reference numbers and will not be redescribed.

In this embodiment the tube 14 is provided at its upper end with a pair of diametrically opposed vertical slots 60 through which a light beam is projected by a light source 61 onto a photoelectric cell 62. The source 61 and photoelectric cell 62 are mounted on a bracket 63 which is adjustably secured on the upper end of the tube 14 by a wing nut 64 so that the height of the light beam 65 can be varied as desired. The photoelectric cell 62 is connected by a relay means to control the operation of either the feed roll motor or the winder motor so as to maintain a constant level of material in the tube 14.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a modification of the tube 14 of FIGS. 4 to 6 wherein an insert 66 of transparent material such as glass or plastic is placed in the slots 60. The inserts 66 provide a smooth inner surface for the tube and may be used in cases where the filaments are protected from contact with the edges of such slots.

In the embodiment of FIG. 9 the upper end of the tube 14 is formed of an insert 14a of transparent material to permit the light beam 65 to pass therethrough as it traverses the mass of filaments in the tube. The embodiments of FIGS. 7 to 9 may be used in the apparatus of FIGS. 4 to 6 if desired.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for crimping filaments or yarns comprising an elongated tube forming a crimping chamber, a pair of feed rolls positioned to feed filaments to be crimped into the bottom of said tube to be folded over and crimped against the back pressure of the mass of previously crimped filaments in said tube, a winder withdrawing the crimped filaments from the top of said tube, separate means driving said feed rolls and said winder, said tube having an elongated slot in the zone of the top of the mass of crimped filaments therein, and means responsive to the level of said mass of crimped filaments with respect to said slot to control one of said independent drive means in a sense to maintain said mass at a constant level, said last means comprising a bracket, a mercury switch pivotally mounted on said bracket and adapted to be opened or closed by pivotal movement, a feeler wire attached to .said switch and extending through said slot, said switch being substantially balanced and adapted to cause said feeler wire to rest lightly upon the mass of filaments in said tube whereby pivotal movement for opening or closing said switch is produced without causing said wire to apply appreciable back pressure on said filaments.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said bracket is adjustably mounted on said tube for vertical adjustment of said feeler wire in said slot for thereby varying the level of said mass of filaments.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,758,357 8/56 Goodhue 281 2,760,252 8/56 Shattuek 28-1 2,960,730 11/60 Shattuck 1966 3,022,545 2/62 Wylde et a1. 19--66 3,058,167 10/62 Rainard et al. 19--66 3,096,562 7/63 Russo et a1. 2872 FOREIGN PATENTS 878,783 10/61 Great Britain.

DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner.

RUSSELL C. MADER, Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR CRIMPING FILAMENTS OR YARNS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED TUBE FORMING A CRIMPING CHAMBER, A PAIR OF FEED ROLLSL POSITIONED TO FEED FILAMENTS TO BE CRIMPED INTO THE BOTTOM OF SAID TUBE TO BE FOLDED OVER AND CRIMPED AGAINST THE BACK PRESSURE OF THE MASS OF PREVIOUSLY CRIMPED FILAMENTS IN SAID TUBE, A WINDER WITHDRAWING THE CRIMPED FILAMENTS FROM THE TOP OF SAID TUBE, SEPARATE MEANS DRIVING SAID FEED ROLLS AND SAID WINDER, SAID TUBE HAVING AN ELONGATED SLOT IN THE ZONE OF THE TOP OF THE MASS OF CRIMPED FILAMENTS THEREIN, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE LEVEL OF SAID MASS OF CRIMPED FILAMENTS WITH RESPECT TO SAID SLOT TO CONTROL ONE OF SAID INDEPENDENT DRIVE MEANS IN A SENSE TO MAINTAIN SAID MASS AT A CONSTANT LEVEL, SAID LAST MEANS COMPRISING A BRACKET, A MERCURY SWITCH PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID BRACKET AND ADAPTED TO BE OPENED OR CLOSED BY PIVOTAL MOVEMENT, A FEELER WIRE ATTACHED TO SAID SWITCH AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SLOT, SAID SWITCH BEING SUBSTANTIALLY BALANCED AND ADAPTED TO CAUSE SAID FEELER WIRE TO REST LIGHTLY UPON THE MASS OF FILAMENTS IN 